Following a 2022 season where edge rusher Joey Bosa was limited to just five games due to injury, the Chargers invested a second-round pick in the 2023 draft to select Tuli Tuipulotu out of USC. He was coming off a season where he led the nation in sacks while finishing second in tackles for loss.
With Khalil Mack already over the age of 30 and the aforementioned bad injury luck by Bosa that year, the Bolts needed to start preparing that position for the future. While it didn’t seem sexy to spend such a high pick on a player not expected to start, it ended up working out about as well as it could have with Tuli immediately showing he’s ready to make an impact in the league.